In his Keynote Paper Presentation titled "Manuskrip Islam sebagai Jambatan Intelektual: Warisan Ilmu, Nilai dan Inovasi untuk Tamadun Masa Depan", Professor of Malay Literature Program, UBD, Profesor Ampuan Dr. Haji Brahim bin Ampuan Haji Tengah, concluded that Islamic manuscripts are an immensely valuable intellectual heritage for human civilization, particularly within the context of the Islamic world and the Nusantara region. They are concrete documents, historical witnesses to the development of knowledge and culture, and bridges that connect past scholarly traditions with the aspirations of building knowledgeable, ethical, and progressive societies today and in the future.
According to him, each manuscript holds knowledge, significance, values, and relevant methodologies that can serve as guidance in facing modern challenges. However, he added, despite this priceless wealth of heritage, there are several challenges in fully preserving and utilizing Islamic manuscripts. One such challenge is limited dissemination and access, or the physical condition of the manuscripts which requires careful preservation—making it difficult for researchers to study and benefit from them.
He explained that the lack of skilled translators and researchers also poses a significant obstacle, as the old languages and scripts in some manuscripts require specific expertise to interpret and translate. “The younger generation is less exposed to knowledge in this field, resulting in a lack of interest in pursuing it. Without experts and researchers, the contents of many stored and yet-to-be-studied manuscripts will remain unknown, misunderstood, and undistributed,” he stated. Additionally, he explained, funding and resources for digitization work, long-term preservation, and infrastructure development also remain unresolved challenges, as they require high costs and continuous financial and human commitment.
Without adequate support, he explained, our efforts to safeguard and disseminate this heritage will be hindered, and all these factors risk causing this valuable treasure trove of knowledge to become marginalized, forgotten, and ultimately underutilized.
Therefore, Profesor Ampuan Dr. Haji Brahim emphasized that it is essential for us to continuously strive to preserve, study, and bring Islamic manuscripts to the public through digitization, translation, and research, while also expanding international scholarly dialogue to open doors for collaboration and innovation.
With these measures, he said, Islamic manuscripts can continue to function as a living heritage and a dynamic source of inspiration, knowledge, and values that drive the development of a civilization rooted in scholarship, morality, and universal humanity.
